NordVPN vs Surfshark (2026)

Pick NordVPN if you want post-quantum encryption on a Windows PC or an iPhone, a full Linux app with a command-line client, Meshnet for reaching your own devices, or a dedicated IP in one of 31 countries. Pick Surfshark if your household has more than 10 devices, if you want to exclude websites from the VPN on an iPhone or Mac, or if you want a low entry price: $2.49 a month for the first 27 months, then $79 a year. Both offer a 7-day free trial on their 1-year and 2-year plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The two have shared a holding company since 2022 but run separately, and we could not confirm NordVPN's US price on November 4, 2026, so check it at checkout.

Pricing compared

On November 4, 2026, Surfshark VPN charged US customers $18.95 for one month of its Starter plan. The 2-year Starter plan cost $67.23 for the first 27 months (two years plus three bonus months), about $2.49 a month, and the 1-year plan cost $44.85 for 15 months, about $2.99 a month. Starter then renews at $79 a year. The One plan, which adds Surfshark Antivirus and Alert breach monitoring, cost the same $67.23 on the 2-year term that day and renews at $99 a year. One+ adds Incogni data removal for $107.73 up front and renews at $119. These prices are before tax.

We can't give you NordVPN's prices, because nordvpn.com blocked our requests on November 4, 2026, including its US pricing page. Its help center does confirm the structure: plans run for 1 month, 1 year or 2 years, the longer plans are paid in full at the start, and every plan renews automatically at a renewal price NordVPN emails you about before it charges. NordVPN sells the VPN on its own or in bigger bundles that add tools such as NordPass and NordLocker, and its help pages use several names for those bundles, so read the plan name at checkout.

Both give new customers a 7-day free trial on 1-year and 2-year plans, and both have a 30-day money-back guarantee. The fine print differs. Surfshark's trial covers every 12-month and 24-month plan, works on up to three devices and accepts a card, PayPal or Apple Pay. NordVPN's trial applies only to the larger bundles its help center names, only in a set list of countries that includes the US, and only with a card or PayPal. NordVPN's refund covers new subscriptions, never a renewal, and for an App Store purchase you ask Apple instead.

Devices and apps

NordVPN covers up to 10 devices at once. If your household has more, you can install it on your router, which takes one slot and covers everything on the home network. Surfshark sets no limit, so a family with four phones, two laptops, a tablet and two TVs can install it on all of them without touching the router.

Both have apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV, plus extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. NordVPN does more on Linux, with a graphical app for GNOME and KDE and a command-line client, with official packages for Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Raspberry Pi OS and Fedora. Surfshark's Linux app comes as a Snap package. Surfshark lists more unusual devices on its download page, including Apple Vision Pro, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, though it doesn't say which of those get an app and which get a setup guide.

Split tunneling lets chosen traffic skip the VPN, so your bank or a local streaming app sees your real connection. NordVPN excludes apps on Windows, Android and Android TV, and on Linux it excludes ports or subnets instead. Its help article doesn't cover macOS or iOS. Surfshark's Bypasser excludes apps on Windows, macOS and Android, and websites on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and its browser extensions.

Security and privacy features head to head

NordVPN's main protocol is NordLynx, built on WireGuard, and it offers post-quantum encryption on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, tvOS and Android TV. You switch it on yourself, it works only with NordLynx, and it can't run alongside Meshnet, a dedicated IP or the obfuscated servers. Surfshark uses WireGuard with post-quantum protection in its macOS, Android and Linux apps, and its own Dausos protocol on macOS. So if you mostly use a Windows PC or an iPhone and want post-quantum protection now, NordVPN offers it and Surfshark doesn't yet.

Both have a kill switch. NordVPN's Windows app has two: one cuts your internet when the VPN drops, and the other closes the apps you pick. Surfshark's kill switch runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, and its strict mode blocks the internet whenever the VPN is off, even when you turned it off yourself.

For malware and ads, NordVPN's Next-gen antivirus runs on Windows 10 and 11 and on macOS 12 or later (the version from NordVPN's website, not the Mac App Store). It scans downloads, blocks malicious links and warns about scam sites with the VPN switched off. Its help center doesn't say which plans include it, and the help center says the malicious website blocker needs one of the higher plans, not the basic VPN. Surfshark includes CleanWeb with every subscription: it blocks ads, trackers and malware sites in all its apps while you're connected, including on Fire TV and Apple TV, and the browser extension also blocks cookie pop-ups and video ads with or without the VPN. Full antivirus at Surfshark needs the One plan.

Both say they don't log what you do online. Surfshark names Deloitte as the firm that assured its no-logs policy in 2023 and 2025. Nord Security says Deloitte Audit Lithuania assessed NordVPN's no-logs policy at the end of 2024, its fifth assessment since 2018. NordVPN operates under Panama's jurisdiction, and its parent, Nord Security, is based in the Netherlands. Surfshark B.V. is registered in Amsterdam. The two companies merged under one holding company in 2022, and Surfshark says they still operate independently.

Dedicated IPs, torrenting and restricted networks

A dedicated IP is an address only you use, which helps with work systems and sites that block shared VPN addresses. NordVPN rents them in 31 countries, including 11 US cities, and lets you change yours once per subscription through support. We couldn't confirm the price. Surfshark lists dedicated IPs from $3.75 a month in 15 cities, and you can't change the location once you have one.

NordVPN's help center says every standard server supports P2P traffic, so you don't need to hunt for a torrenting server. It also has Meshnet, which links your own devices into a private network for sharing files, playing LAN games or sending your traffic out through a computer at home, and Onion Over VPN, which routes traffic through Tor without the Tor Browser (OpenVPN only). Surfshark's answers here are Multi Hop, which routes you through two servers in different countries and which Surfshark says usually slows you down, and Rotating IP, which changes your address about every five minutes on Windows, Android, iOS and macOS without dropping the connection.

On hotel, campus or office Wi-Fi that blocks VPNs, NordVPN offers its NordWhisper protocol on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, plus obfuscated servers that hide VPN traffic. Surfshark's NoBorders mode switches on by itself when the app detects a restricted network and offers servers that tend to work there. We didn't test either against real blocks, or test streaming, for this comparison. NordVPN's SmartPlay switches on automatically in all its apps to help with streaming sites.

Ease of use and support

Surfshark is easier to buy. Three plans and three lengths make the choice quick, though its pricing page lists the same features on all three plan cards, so check the plan details to see which one includes antivirus. NordVPN's bundle names change between its own help pages, and you'll have to read the checkout page to know which tools you're paying for. NordVPN also has more rules to learn: post-quantum encryption clashes with Meshnet and dedicated IPs, and devices on the same server each need a different protocol.

Support works the same way at both. NordVPN's live chat runs 24/7 and starts with an AI assistant that hands you to a person when it can't solve the problem, and its email form promises a reply within 24 hours. Surfshark advertises 24/7 support, its help center chat opens with an AI assistant, and you can also email [email protected] or submit a request. NordVPN says it has no phone support, and Surfshark's contact page lists none.

Who each one suits

NordVPN suits someone who wants the most security tools in one app and has 10 devices or fewer: a Linux user who wants a proper desktop app, a Windows or iPhone user who wants post-quantum encryption today, someone who needs a dedicated IP in a less common country, or a person who wants to reach their home computer through Meshnet. Expect to pay attention at checkout, because we couldn't confirm its prices and its bundles are harder to compare.

Surfshark suits a household with more devices than it can count, and someone who wants ad blocking on the TV apps without paying for a bigger plan. If you plan to stay past the first term, budget for the jump from about $2.49 a month to $79 a year.

If neither fits, ExpressVPN includes a dedicated IP on its Pro plan, and Proton VPN has a free plan for one device.